W-2 Generator Every employee copy, filled at once
Fill out Form W-2 once and watch Copies B, C, 2, 1, and D of the official 2026 form fill in together. Download them as one PDF or print them when the required boxes are done.
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Understanding Form W-2
Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, is the form an employer gives each employee after the year ends. It reports the wages paid and the federal income, social security, and Medicare taxes withheld, along with items such as retirement plan deferrals, health coverage costs, and state and local tax information.
For 2026, employers file a W-2 for every employee whose pay had income, social security, or Medicare tax withheld, or who was paid $2,000 or more, up from $600 in earlier years. Copies B, C, and 2 go to the employee by February 1, 2027, Copy 1 goes to the state or local tax department if required, and Copy D stays in the employer’s files. Copy A is for the Social Security Administration and is filed online or on the official red form, so it isn’t part of this download.
Filling out Form W-2 step by step
Start with your EIN, name, and address as they appear on your Form 941 or other employment tax return. Add the employee’s SSN, their name as shown on their social security card, and their address. Then enter boxes 1 through 6 and any tips, dependent care benefits, or nonqualified plan amounts, followed by up to four box 12 codes, the box 13 check boxes, box 14 notes, and up to two state or local rows.
One set of entries fills all five copies, and you can mask the SSN to its last four digits on the employee’s copies, as the IRS allows. The notice and instructions printed on the backs of Copies B, C, and 2 are included. When the required fields are done, download everything as one PDF or print it. Filing on paper? Try the W-3 generator, or browse all tax form generators.
What you might ask about Form W-2
Who has to get a Form W-2?
Every employee you paid for services during the year if you withheld any income, social security, or Medicare tax, or paid them $2,000 or more in 2026, even a relative. Independent contractors get a Form 1099-NEC instead.
When are 2026 Forms W-2 due?
Give Copies B, C, and 2 to each employee by February 1, 2027, and file Copy A with Form W-3 at the SSA by the same date. If someone stops working for you during the year, you can give them their W-2 any time after they leave and before the deadline; if they ask for it, provide it within 30 days of the request or of the final wage payment, whichever is later.
Can I file the W-2 I make here with the SSA?
No. This generator leaves out Copy A, because the SSA scans paper W-2s and a Copy A printed from a website can’t be processed. File Copy A online through the SSA’s Business Services Online, where W-2 Online handles up to 50 forms at a time and creates the W-3 for you, or mail it on the official red forms from IRS.gov/OrderForms with a W-3. If you file 10 or more information returns in total, you must e-file.
Which copy goes where?
Copy B is for the employee’s federal return, Copy C is for the employee’s records, and Copy 2 goes with their state, city, or local return. Copy 1 goes to your state, city, or local tax department if it requires one, and Copy D is yours to keep. The Notice to Employee and Instructions for Employee printed on the backs of Copies B, C, and 2 are part of the download.
What do the box 12 codes mean?
Each letter code tells the employee what an amount is: D for 401(k) elective deferrals, W for employer contributions to an HSA, or DD for the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage, which isn’t taxable. New for 2026 are TA for employer contributions to a Trump account, TP for total cash tips reported to you, and TT for qualified overtime compensation. A W-2 holds up to four codes; for more, issue a second W-2.
Can I hide the employee’s full SSN?
Yes, on the employee’s copies. Truncating to XXX-XX-1234 on Copies B, C, and 2 is optional and allowed. Copy A must show the full number, and your state may not allow truncation on its copy, so the generator shortens only Copies B, C, and 2 when you tick the option. Your EIN is never truncated.
How do I correct a W-2 after sending it?
Use Form W-2c, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement. Give the corrected copies to the employee and file Copy A of the W-2c with the SSA, with a Form W-3c on paper.
What changed on the 2026 W-2?
Box 14 is now split: box 14a, Other, takes what used to go in box 14, and box 14b holds up to two Treasury Tipped Occupation Codes for employees with tips reported under code TP. Box 9 was made smaller to give box 14a more room, and box 12 gained codes TA, TP, and TT.
Is my information safe?
Yes. The generator runs entirely in your browser. The PDF is created on your device, and no SSNs, EINs, or wage amounts are uploaded to or saved by forms.app. Download your copies before you leave, because nothing is kept after you close the page.
Is this W-2 generator free?
Yes. Create, download, and print as many W-2s as you need at no cost, with no account required.
Your W-2 isn’t ready to print yet
Fill in the required fields on the page (the employer’s EIN, name, and address, the employee’s SSN, name, and address, and box 1 wages), then print again.